Shuttle changing pick and pick loom



Aug. 4, 1931 A. A. GORDON SHUTTLE cnmeme PIcK AND PICK LOOll Filed Feb. 14, 1930 3 Sheets- Sheet 1 Aug. 4, 1931; A. GORDON SHUTTLE CHANGING PICK AND PICK LOOK Filed Feb. 14. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 EVE/v72? /74B5/P7- )2 @oPDo/v aw M mwys Aug, 4, 1931. A. A. GORDON SHUTTLE CHANGING PICK AND PICK LOOI 3Sheets-$heet 3 Filed Feb. 14, 193C Rt'iuLAR I HFT 4 FFELER P08 RED uw QNMK can-m2 M ,1! I 3 LI FEELER FUR GREEN 7 Mxlumzyg LIFT Patented Aug. 4, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT A. GORDON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'lO CROMP'TON & KNOWLES LOOFI WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS SHUTTLE CHANGING PICK AND PICK LOOM Application filed February 14, 1930. Serial No. 428,538.

This invention relates to a shuttle changing loom of the pick and pick type in which one shuttle is received in an upper box at loom.

It is the object of my invention to provide a separate shuttle storage magazine at each side of the loom and to provide means for replenishing the weft by changing shuttles in either upper shuttle box.

A further object of my invention is to provide means by which the replenishment of s the shuttle in each upper shuttle box is controlled by weft detecting mechanism associated with the lower shuttle box at the opposite side of the loom.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will 2o be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is aside elevation of a double shuttle loom embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a left hand end elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view, taken along the line 33 in Fig. 2; and

Figs. 4 to 7 are diagrammatic front elevations illustrating the operation of my improved loom.

Referring to the drawings, Ihave shown invention embodied in a shuttle changing loom having a loom'frame 10 provided with a lay 11 (Fig. 4) supporting a set of three drop boxes at each end thereof. These dropboxes comprise upper regular boxes 12 and 13 (Fig. 4), lower regular boxes 14 and 15, and lowermost auxiliary boxes 16 and 17.

During the ordinary operation of the loom, one shuttle, which for convenience we may term the red shuttle, will be picked a alternately from the lower box 15 to the upper box 12 and vice-versa, while the other shuttle, which we may term the green shuttle, will be picked alternately from the lower box 14 to the upper box 13 and vice- -versa. The'auxiliary boxes 16 and 17 are used only during weft replenishment and shuttle transfer, as will be hereinafter described. It will be understoodthat as many successive picks as deired may be made by each shuttle, but always from an upper to a lower regular box or vice-versa.

Upper binders 20 and lower binders 21 are secured to the lay ends 22 at each side of the loom and remain in fixed position Vertically as the boxes rise and fall. A magazine M for the red shuttles is provided at the left hand side of the loom and a corre-- sponding magazine M for the green shuttles at the right hand side of the loom.

Stacks of shuttles R and G are stored in the magazines and the weft ends V are brought out through the shuttle eyes and are secured to end holders 25 and 26 on the breast beam 27 \Veft detecting devices 30 and 31 are provided at the opposite sides of the loom and these devices are positioned to indicate the condition of the weft supply in the shuttles in the lower regular boxes 14 or 15. These weft detecting devices may be of any convenient construction and I have indicated them herein as being of the electrically controlled type. The detectors may rise and fall with the lower boxes if desired.

The detecting device 30 is connected through a battery 32 to a solenoid coil 83 and the device 31 is connected through a battery 34 to a coil 85. The specific construction of the electrical detectors 80 and 31 form no part of my invention and any suitable or well known electrical detector may be utllized.

Two separate actuating devices are provided for lifting each set of the drop boxes. v

rotatable on a short shaft 48 to which is" secured a disc 49 having a crank-pin 5O positioned in the slotted lower end of a bar 51 pivoted at 52 to the lifting lever 44.

A sliding key 53 in the short shaft 48 is controlled by a grooved collar 54(Fig. 3), which in turn is positioned by a bell crank 55. A spring 56 normally holds the bell crank in the position indicated in Fig. 1, in 5 which the key 53 is withdrawn to inoperative position. A, link 57 connects the bell crank 55to suitable pattern mechanism, not shown. The mechanism above described is duplicated' foroperation of the boxes at the right hand side of the loom, which latter boxes are controlled from the pattern mechanism through a link 58. r

During'shuttle transfer, it is necessary to raise the drop boxesonesp'ace above the running position of the lower regular box. Forth'is, purpose I provide the cam shaft 'withafdouble cam engaging a' cam roll' 6 l"on the side of a cam lever 62 pivoted at 63 on the loom frame. The cam '60 is" effective to raise'flth'e lever 62. twice during each revolution ofthe cam shaftor once during each revolution of the crankshaft-,1

not shown. .5-; A lateh 64is pivoted at 65 (Fig. 3') on the side of the lever 62 and is heldnormally inou'te'r or inoperative position by'a spring -66. A chain. or cord 67 connects the latch 64'to asoleno'id plunger 68 (Fig. 1) in the solenoid coil 35. hen substantial exhaustion ofwef-tis indicated bythe detector 31,

thelcoil 85 is energized and the plunger 68 is drawn into the coil and'is effective to swingthelatch 64 under an'abutment 70 5; (Fig. 3)'on the lifting lever 14. With the latch inthis position, the cam 60 operates to.-

M raise the drop boxes to the abnormally high position indicated at the left in Figs. 1 and i5.

'The regular pattern-controlled lifting mechanismcontinues in operation but the crank-pin 50' merely moves idly in the slot of the'bar 51, without engaging the same atthe upper end ofthe slot. Similar mechanism' is provided for raising-the right hand boxes to their highest position, which mechanism is-controlled throu h a cord 72 and solenoid'plunger 73 by the detector 30.5.

a pivoted top, plate or cover 80 provided" with a stud 81 adapted to engage a cam plate 82 011 the magazine as the boxes are rai'sedto GXtIGHIQrPOSItIOIlflIlCl as the lay moves rearward. When the stud 81 enters the, slot 83in the cam plate 82, the cover 80.

is swung upward and forward, as indicated. lIl E1g. .2, and a retaining device 8 1 is swung The magazine and shuttle changing mechanlsm in'ltself'forins no part-of my present. invention and'is shown herein as bemgof rearward to release the lowermost shuttle S in the magazine and allow it to be received in the upper box 12. As the lay thereafter moves forward, the cover 80 is closed and the box 12 is lowered to running position.

-.While the box 12 was in its abnormally raised position, the auxiliary box16 was in running position and received the exhausted shuttle as it crossed'froin the opposite side of the loom after indication by the detecting mechanism 31.

As the boxes are thereafter lowered, the box-'16 inovesbelowthe binder 21 on the lay end and. the shuttle is discharged to a chute Fora more complete description be made to the diagrams of Figs. 4 to 7 in W explaining the operation of the loom. InFig. 4, the boxes are in regular running position, with the green shuttle G just received inthe upper right hand box-1 3 and with the red shuttle R in" the lower right tectingv device 31.

Assuming that substantial weft exhaus tion is indicated in the redshuttle in the box 15, the drop boxes at the left hand side of the loom will be immediately raised to receive a fresh red shuttle Rand the ex? haustedred shuttle Itwill be receivedin the lowermost or auxiliary left hand box. O n the next pick, the left'hand boxes will be lowered one step and the greenshuttle hand box 15 and beingengaged the de- G will be received in the regular box l l,

and during the continued normal operationof the loom the shuttles will continue to travel from a lower box on one side of the loom tov an upperbox on the opposite side,"

mechanism.

It will accordingly appear that I have provided simple and effective mechanism by which a shuttle changing loom may be operated and by which either-of twodifferent kinds of shuttle may be selectively replaced upon indication of weft exhaustion. Having thus described my invention and or vice versa, as determined by the pattern the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be" to the details herein disclosed, other- 7 limited wise than as set forth in the claims, but

ha Isle- 11 is:

1. In a shuttle changing loom, a lay, a pair of regularly operated drop boxes at each end of the lay, means to raise either pair of boxes and simultaneously lower the opposite pair, a shuttle storage magazine associated with each pair of boxes, a weft detecting mechanism associated with the lower box of each pair, and means to raise a selected pair of shuttle boxes to an abnormal elevated position after indication of substantial weft exhaustion and to transfer a shuttle from one of said magazines to the associated upper box when so raised on the pick immediately following indication of substantial weft exhaustion in the opposite lower box.

2. In a shuttle changing loom, a lay, a set of three drop boxes at each end of the lay, regularly operated means efiective to move the two upper boxes of each set alternately in and out of running position, weft detecting mechanism, means controlled thereby for selectively moving the boxes to an elevated transfer position upon indication of weft exhaustion, and means to transfer a fresh shuttle to either upper box when in such transfer position.

3. In a shuttle changing loom, a lay, a set of three drop boxes at each end of the lay, regularly operated means effective to move the two upper boxes of each set alternately in and out of running position, weft detecting mechanism, means controlled thereby for selectively moving the boxes to an elevated transfer position upon indication of weft exhaustion, and means to transfer a fresh shuttle to either upper box when in such transfer position and to thereafter discharge the exhausted shuttle from the associated lowermost box.

4. In a shuttle changing loom having drop boxes and in which one shuttle is always received in one upper box and the other shuttle is always received in the other upper box, in combination, means to indicate substantial weft exhaustion of each shuttle when in a lower box, means to raise the boxes at the opposite side of the loom to an abnormal elevated position before the indicated exhausted shuttle is received therein, and means to selectively transfer av corre sponding shuttle to the opposite upper box while in said abnormal position.

5. In a shuttle changing loom having pairs of drop boxes and in which each shuttle has an individual upper box at one side of the loom and an individual lower box at the opposite side of the loom, in combination, means to indicate substantial weft exhaustion in each shuttle when in its lower box, means to raise the boxes at the opposite side of the loom to an abnormal elevated position before the indicated exhausted shuttle is received therein, and means to transfer a selected shuttle to the opposite upper box on the pick immediately following indication of weft exhaustion.

6. In a loom, pattern mechanism, shifting shuttle boxes on each end of the loom operating with a plurality of shuttles, reserve shuttles with threaded eyes at each end of the loom, detector mechanism to coact with any shuttle in a shuttle box below an upper box to detect the amount of yarn therein, and means intermediate the detector mechanism andthe reserve shuttles effective to cause a shuttle to be inserted in the upper box at the opposite side of the loom from indication, after an indication of substantial weft exhaustion.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

ALBERT A. GORDON. 

